This invention pertains to a content injection system and methodology associated with delivering, differently to different audiences, or audience groups, of a “source” data flow characterized by an alternating series of what we refer to herein as content and non-content segments. It should be understood that in the implementation and practice of the invention, different kinds of such source data may be handled, such as audio data and video data. Generally speaking we apply the term “content”, as associated with such data, to refer to the principal, or central, programming material/segments contained therein, and we use the term “non-content” to refer to segments of data that lie between content segments—typically taking the form of certain kinds of advertising (ad break) material.
For the purpose of illustration herein, the invention is described in the context of a broadcast radio station which delivers a source broadcast flow of audio data/information to two different kinds of audience groups, including what will be referred to as being a “broadcast” audience, and as an on-line “streaming audience”. In other language employed in this document, the on-line streaming audience is referred to as a first group of recipients, and the broadcast audience as a second group of recipients.
Using such a station audio-broadcast context for illustration purposes, as mentioned, this invention focuses attention on a practice involving periodically separating the broadcast and streaming audiences in order to account for, and deal effectively with, the presence, in the source broadcast-data flow, of certain “non-streamable content”—i.e., its non-content segments. For example, for reasons of cost, and/or because of certain controlling rules and/or regulations, etc., some kinds of advertising content which are permissibly “broadcastable” to a broadcast audience are not permissibly “streamable” to a streaming audience. Put another way, the properly broadcastable data flow contains both types of segments (i.e., content and non-content segments, as mentioned above), whereas the streamable data flow is allowed to contain only, from such a source broadcast data flow, the content-segment portions thereof.
Accordingly, and because of the fact that such non-streamable content material resides naturally within a source broadcast flow of data of the type described, something needs to be done to assure a high-quality, non-disruptive flow of information to the streaming audience which effectively “side-steps” the non-streamable (i.e., non-content) segment material. Regarding such “side-stepping” it is important that, in the context now being generally described, a streaming audience ultimately receive, in as timely a fashion as possible, and fully, the same, streamable (i.e., content-segment) broadcast material as does a broadcast audience, without receiving the non-streamable content material, and without experiencing distracting, unnatural gaps in ultimate reception of the appropriately streaming content-segment material.
The proposed “side-stepping” behavior of the present invention avoids the presence of such an unnatural distraction (a) by injecting into the otherwise gapped flow of streamable content material, selected, alternate (or alternative), permissibly streamable material (referred to variously herein as injection material, and as injection-content material) which masks the broadcast flow of non-streamable, non-content material, and (b) by using a variable-time-size, time-displacing buffer which operates, as will be fully explained below, to capture, for later, seamless streaming output to the streaming audience, all appropriately streamable content-segment material time-spans which have become “masked” because of the occurrences of duration overlaps that will naturally take place in relation to injection of the just-above-mentioned injection-content material. Such injection takes place during what we refer to herein as an injection time period. In many instances, and as will be seen, material delivered to a streaming audience during such an injection time period will begin with the delivery from the mentioned buffer of any then-buffered (i.e., previously buffered) content-segment material. Alternative injection material may typically take the forms, for example, of alternative advertising material which is suitable for delivery for the streaming audience, and music, such as songs. In general terms, here is how this unique practice of the present invention works.
When a non-streamable advertisement begins (an ad break) in the broadcast data flow, a trigger/control signal is generated by the system and practice of this invention to cause, effectively, a data-flow separation to take place between the broadcast audience and the streaming audience. With this separation place, and following the then delivery to the streaming audience (from the mentioned buffer) of any previously buffered content-segment material, alternative content, coming from what we refer to as an alternative (or injection) content repository managed by the relevant radio station, is injected into the streaming data flow to cover, along with the delivered buffered material. Alternative injection material is delivered at least for a length of time extending to when, again, streamable broadcast content resumes in the broadcast-data flow. Often, such injection-content material will extend in time in a manner producing a modest time overlap with the resumption of content-material broadcasting, and in such an “overlap” circumstance, content-segment data buffering begins in accordance with practice of the invention to deal fully with such an overlap. This injection activity seamlessly bridges, for the streaming audience, the time spaces between broadcast-flow content-material segments.
In the operational context of the preferred embodiment, and manner of practicing the methodology, of the invention, as is now being generally described, an important feature, which is believed to be unique, is that no effort is made regarding, and therefore no complexity and extra cost are involved in, exactly matching the lengths of time that ad break data is present in the source broadcast material with the lengths of time that buffered and alternative content materials are delivered during an injection time period to the streaming audience. This unique practice of the present invention is extremely advantageous, as will be recognized by those generally skilled in the relevant art.
Accordingly, and as will be more fully explained and illustrated herein, in most “injection modes”, content injection lasts beyond the ends of the broadcasting of the included non-streamable ad break material. Because of this, and for at least a length of time (as suggested immediately above) which is measured between the ends of broadcasting of the non-streamable material segments and the natural ends of “current” injection material still being streamed to the streaming audience, broadcast content-segment material is buffered in order to capture the eventually-resumed, permissibly-streamable broadcast content data. Such time-measured buffering continues appropriately in a manner which will be more fully explained below.
As will be seen, the buffer which is utilized to accomplish this buffering activity is designed to have a propensity to continue to empty itself as expeditiously as possible. Experience with a practical implementation of the system and methodology of the invention has shown that the overall time span period contained at any point in time in the employed buffer exists generally within the range of 0-minutes to about 2-minutes. Longer periods of buffering are, of course, possible if desired for certain applications.
Thus, and reflecting upon the operation just generally outlined, the streaming audience, under all circumstances, normally receives all streamable broadcast content-segment material interleaved with permissibly deliverable injection material, with up to a certain modest, and variable (over time), time lag occurring related to the receipt of the same, principal broadcast content-segment material which is delivered to the broadcast audience. The streaming audience, however, will not noticeably experience/appreciate this time lag, but rather will receiving what will seem to it to be a traditional, seamless flow of streaming data. The broadcast-receiving audience will, of course, receive, intact and unaltered, the full broadcast-data flow, including both the streamable content and the non-streamable content of that flow.
These and other features and advantages which are offered by the present invention will now become more fully apparent as the detailed description of the invention, and of its methodology, are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.